Motorcycle Online Interview: John Kocinski

"If I don't get what I want, maybe I'll just retire."

By Colin MacKellar, Dutch Desk
Photos by Ducati Corse and Motorcycle Online Staff

MO: During the press conference you mentioned that there has been some reorganization that has really improved the team. What were you referring to?

JK: Since Brno (the Czech round held on June 30), Claudio Castiglione has taken Virginio Ferrari away from my mechanics and my bikes. He has put someone from the factory to run everything. We run in the same team, but it is effectively two teams. The factory provides all my stuff and Virginio spends all his time with the other guy (Neil Hodgson). It doesn't mean that anybody is a bad guy, but it's Virginio's way of organizing things that's different from the way I want things organized. When we were working together, my results went down the tube. I knew the championship was getting away and so that's when I had to go to Claudio and ask him if he wanted to win this. He said "yes" so he did what I asked him and I immediately gave him four wins (actually it was only three - Ed.) and I'm within 29 points of leading the championship.

MO: Who is the guy from the factory?

JK: Ivo Bertoni. He is wonderful. Mike from Ohlins, Ivo and myself are doing it all. We're just a small little team. I've always thought I don't need a 100-man team. I just need five good ones.

MO: Why didn't you force the change earlier in the season?

JK: From my conversation today with Claudio, I feel he is a little bit disappointed that things weren't organized better. He understands clearly the problem and he's backing me 100 percent. I really thank him for that. He believes in me and he hasn't forgotten the things I did for Cagiva in the GPs. He has my bike in his house. He used to have the bike that Mamola rode to third place in Belgium, but he threw it out and put my bike in there.

MO: So you have a good relationship with him?

JK: Perfect. Both of the Castiglione brothers would do anything for me. Claudio has confirmed today, that if we can reach an agreement, he will guarantee for sure that we will have factory bikes for next year.

MO: What do you make of the Fogarty's announcement yesterday that he's leaving Honda for Ducati next year?

JK: No one from Ducati knows anything about that. Even Claudio Castiglione knows nothing about that. If it happens, I guess Virginio is going to have a private team as he is not going to have the factory bikes. That whole deal seems strange as nobody knows anything about it except Virginio. It doesn't bother me as I know for sure that next year I can get factory bikes and that's all that's important. I'll work together to organize the team and get the right people. If it's done that way it will be much easier for me to win next year.

MO: So you reckon your future is in Superbikes?

JK: Well there is a chance I could go back into GP I guess. Things just have to be organized properly. I guess if I didn't have the name that I have people wouldn't expect so much all the time. Then I could ride around and come in 4th or 5th and have a good time and be all philosophical. As soon as I get near a bike, people expect me to win all the time. That takes a good organization and without it no rider is going to win a world championship.

MO: So the teammate isn't so important to you?

JK: I know one thing, if I ride for Ducati, Claudio will take care of me, like he always has. I'm not worried what happens with the rest of the team, because I know I will be able to do what I want to do and he will back me 100 percent. I know if we get what we need, we will be in front.

MO: Did you ever get to ride the '95 bikes?

JK: To be honest, I'm not sure which bikes I rode first. It was at Misano and it was about five degrees outside. This was the first time I had ridden in a year. I was curious if I still had what it takes to ride well. It was amazing, after only three or four laps we were very close to the lap record on a bike I had never seen before. I knew then that everything would be okay.

MO: You always ride a bike very fast the first time you get on it. It was the same with the Suzuki 250.

JK: Well I have to thank God for everything he has given me and I just try to use it to the maximum.

MO: Does the Ducati suit your style?

JK: Not at the start. To begin with I didn't do anything. I just rode it and rode it to get a good feeling for it before we started to change anything. We've made some adjustments now and it's quite a bit different from the others. I've fallen off this year just once. That's because I have the bike set up so that it doesn't throw you off. I'm at the point now that I don't want to crash. I enjoy being healthy and I like to feel good, so the less I crash the better.

MO: Have Ducati's financial difficulties affected the racing team at all? Promotor wasn't very happy with the level of support they were getting from the factory.

JK: When they were 56 points ahead of everybody they weren't doing much complaining. When people started to catch up you started hearing more complaints. They've been saying some pretty nasty things. They said I'm on drugs at the last race. It doesn't worry me. I know they get the same stuff we get. I try to be as careful with my equipment as possible as it is important to finish races.

MO: So as far as you are concerned, 1997 is going to be another Ducati year for you?

JK: I didn't say that. I may retire...

MO: That would be a dreadful loss for the sport.

JK: Yeah, but I've done this now for 23 years and I guess you can say I've put my time in. I want to enjoy myself, so if I get everything I want... I don't mean to say that if I don't get what I want I'll quit. But it is such a long season, there is so much pressure all the time, that if you don't have the right organization and you get to the point where people don't get along with you it's no fun anymore. I'm here to have fun, it's not a financial thing. That's the difference between me now and maybe four years ago.

MO: Would you be prepared to go to another team if you couldn't get the backing you need?

JK: I just appreciate all the things that they have done for me and I'm a loyal person so if it's possible to keep the relation I would prefer to do that. If for some reason we can't reach an agreement and something else comes along, we may look at it. It's too early... I mean it's getting late, but I'm just too focused on winning right now.

MO: Does that make a difference to you? If you win, would you want to defend your title?

JK: The last time I won the title, I wasn't able to defend it. I won three championships in America, so I know what it's like. I just want to have fun.

MO: Are you having fun this weekend?

JK: Yeah! I'm having fun now, a lot of fun.

MO: You certainly kicked some ass in Saturday's qualifying. Where did that come from?

JK: We could have actually done some 2.03s, but it was not necessary. I just wanted to do a good time as early as possible and stop and rest. I've just been relaxing ever since I did the fast lap.

MO: Yesterday you were about two seconds slower...

JK: Naaah. I don't think we are ever that far. I mean it could happen, especially at this level. (He was actually 2.1 seconds slower - Ed.)

MO: The bike was running good?

JK: Yeah, it's pretty good. It's just important that we run strong and healthy tomorrow. We need to win those two races. (Kocinski finished fifth and third -Ed.)

MO: This is a circuit you like?

JK: I think I'll like it when I get older. It's okay. It's very technical. There are no actual corners, just a series of bends that flow together. So if you make a small mistake, it wrecks the whole lap. It takes a lot of concentration to do just one lap here. You know in a normal race weekend, I use one set of knee-sliders for four practice sessions. Here I burn through a set in one session. There are so many bends. The banked corners are tricky as the camber flattens out on the exit and the suspension unloads and you loose traction. You have to have things pretty well sorted or it is impossible to go fast.

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